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How to Block Search Engines from Indexing Specific Pages Using Robots.txt

How to Block Search Engines from Indexing Specific Pages Using Robots.txt

Mastering search engine access control is essential for SEO and security. The robots.txt file serves as your first line of defense, directing crawlers like Googlebot and Bingbot away from sensitive content. This guide reveals professional techniques to block indexing of specific pages using robots.txt.

What Is Robots.txt?

Located in your website's root directory (yourdomain.com/robots.txt), this text file governs crawler access using the standardized Robots Exclusion Protocol. As the first resource search engines consult before crawling, it acts as a virtual bouncer for your content.

Robots.txt control diagram showing search engines being blocked from folders

Blocking Pages with Robots.txt: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Identify Target Pages

Pinpoint exact URLs needing protection. Examples include:

  • /internal-report.html
  • /staging/preview-page/
  • /user-data/profile.php

Step 2: Access Robots.txt

Navigate to your root directory via FTP/cPanel. Create robots.txt if absent, or edit the existing file.

Step 3: Implement Disallow Rules

Block pages using path-specific directives:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /internal-report.html
Disallow: /staging/

Pro Tip: Replace * with specific crawler names (e.g., Googlebot-Image) for granular control.

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